1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lid holder stand for use in connection with cooking. The lid holder stand has particular utility in connection with holding pot and pan lids.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Lid holder stands are desirable for holding pot and pan lids. Many cooking procedures require a person to temporarily remove a lid from a pot or pan to stir the contents within. Hot lids, in particular, are especially difficult to manage because they can burn the user and/or scorch the surface on which they are placed. Lid holder stands overcome these challenges by holding hot or cold pot and pan lids away from the user and counters and other surfaces that could be burned by the lid. Lid holder stands have the additional advantage of being dishwasher safe, making them easy to clean if they become soiled.
The use of magnetic cooking utensil holders is known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,673 to Dooley discloses a magnetic cooking utensil holder. However, the Dooley '673 patent does not have a slot in its base, and has further drawbacks of lacking a base with an open bottom.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,028,972 to Guillaumant discloses a utensil support that serves as a holder for various items, such as pan covers and spoons. However, the Guillaumant '972 patent does not have a base with an open bottom, and additionally does not have a support with only a single point of attachment to the base.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,326,387 to Princevalle discloses a portable lid holder that holds lids while a person is temporarily examining the contents of a cooking vessel. However, the Princevalle '387 patent does not have a base with an open bottom, and cannot separate the lid holder from the base.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 468,163 to Blake et al. discloses a hot lid holder with drip pan that holds a lid. However, the Blake et al. '163 patent does not have a base with an open bottom, and also does not have a support with only a single point of attachment to the base.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,503 to Pohler discloses a hot lid holder that holds the lid of a cooking utensil, such as a pot, pan, or dish. However, the Pohler '503 patent does not have a base with an open bottom, and further lacks rods with only a single point of attachment to the base.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,616 to Carney discloses a pot lid and utensil holder that holds pot lids and/or cooking utensils. However, the Carney '616 patent does not have a separable lid holder, and has the additional deficiency of lacking a base with an open bottom.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,993 to Spitler discloses a kitchen utensil holder that temporarily stores or holds kitchen implements when not in use during a cooking procedure. However, the Spitler '993 patent does not have a base with an open bottom, and further lacks multiple slots in its base.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,771 to Kaneshiro discloses a cooking pot lid stand that is a stand for cooking pot lids, serving dish lids, casserole dish woods, or other lids which have a handle or knob at its top center. However, the Kaneshiro '771 patent does not a slot in its base, and has the additional deficiency of being unable to hold cooking utensils lacking a handle or knob at their top center.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a lid holder stand that allows holding pot and pan lids. The Dooley '673 patent, and the Kaneshiro '771 patent make no provision for a slot in their bases. The Dooley '673 patent, the Guillaumant '972 patent, the Princevalle '387 patent, the Blake et al. '163 patent, the Pohler '503 patent, the Carney '616 patent, and the Spitler '993 patent lack a base with an open bottom. The Guillaumant '972 patent, the Blake et al. '163 patent, and the Pohler '503 patent do not have support with only a single point of attachment to the base. The Princevalle '387 patent and the Carney '616 patent omit a lid holder that can be separated from the base. The Spitler '993 patent does not have multiple slots in its base. The Kaneshiro '771 patent cannot hold cooking utensils lacking a handle or knob at their top center.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved lid holder stand that can be used for holding pot and pan lids. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. In this respect, the lid holder stand according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of holding pot and pan lids.